


Of Home and Happiness

by nanuk_dain



Series: Of Soldiers and Secrets [23]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-19
Updated: 2011-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-26 06:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/280005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is an addition to the Speirs-Lipton household. Or: The day Luz came to live with Speirs and Lipton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Home and Happiness

  
[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0008xqg1)   


 

  
[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0009z25s)   


 

“Car!”

Carwood looked up from the papers and books he had spread out on the table in the living room. He was approaching the last final exams before he earned his degree, only a few month to go, and he spent most of his days studying while Ron was out working. When he heard Ron's call echo through the house, Carwood frowned. Ron didn't sound anxious, but he almost never shouted, so the fact that he had was enough to bring Carwood to his feet immediately. He quickly walked over to the main entrance from where he could hear the shuffle of Ron's coat.

“What is it, Ron?” Carwood asked when he rounded the corner. Ron had his back to him, trying to remove his coat with one hand while he cradled his right arm close to his body. Carwood frowned in worry and hurried over to him.

“Ron, what...” before he could finish his question, he saw the little grey lump in Ron's arm. When it moved slowly, Carwood realised that it was a rather tiny dog. A puppy, to be exact, and it was dirty and wet and obviously shivering.

“I found him next to the entrance of the station.” Ron answered, still trying to get out of his coat. “He was in a paper box and hardly moved.”

No surprise, Carwood thought. It was February and it was freezing outside. He was surprised the puppy hadn't already frozen to death. He didn't think it could have survived very long with only a paper box as shelter against the cold and the snow. After a moment of watching Ron struggle with his coat, Carwood grabbed its back and helped him out of it, hanging it on the coat rack.

“I think there were other puppies in the box, but he was the only one left. Somebody's bitch must have had a litter and they didn't know what to do with the puppies.” Ron almost vibrated with anger, his hand gently patting the grey lump's tiny head. “They just left the little ones out in the cold. If those irresponsible bastards had shown, I would have killed them.”

“I'm sure the other puppies were already taken in by somebody else.” Carwood said in order to calm Ron, although he agreed with him. Putting the puppies out on the street at this time of the year was a kind of cruel, careless behaviour that Carwood couldn't understand. It was as good as condemning them to the slow, painful death of freezing. After Bastogne, Carwood had a very good idea of how painful it was.

He took a closer look at the little creature in Ron's arms. Its short fur was mostly white under the grey layer of wet dirt, but there was a black spot around its left eye and another around its right ear. Even the nose was spotted. It had huge brown eyes and the moment it looked at Carwood, he knew that he wouldn't let it come to any more harm. Regarding the way Ron was cradling it protectively, Carwood guessed he wasn't the only one who the puppy had wrapped around its little finger. Or paw.

“I think he's hurt.” Ron remarked and carefully stretched the little right front paw. There was blood visible under all the dirt that covered the fur.

“It looks like a cut.” Carwood said after having a closer look. He guessed that the injury was the reason the little one had been left behind when his siblings were all taken. “I think it's best we give him a proper bath, then we can take care of that.”

Ron nodded and Carwood sent him in the bathroom while he went to get some old towels and the soap bar from the kitchen. It was surprisingly easy to wash the puppy once they had the sink filled with warm water. The dog was too exhausted to move much and it let Carwood soap its fur twice and rinse it out without making a fuss. Ron held it carefully and let Carwood work with gentle hands to rub all the dirt off the fur.

When Carwood took hold of the injured paw, the puppy flinched and gave a pitiful yelp.

“I'm sorry, little one.” Carwood said with a soothing voice. “But we have to take care of that.”

He took a corner of one of the towels and wet it, then he patted the cut that had begun bleeding again. “I don't think it's that deep. We'll wrap it and keep an eye on it. If it doesn't get better in the next few days, we'll take him to the vet.”

“Or we call Doc Roe.” Ron suggested with a smirk.

Carwood chuckled. “Or we call Doc Roe. He probably has some idea what we can do.”

Ron lifted the puppy out of the sink on the towel they had spread out on the bathroom floor. When the dog shook out its fur, the water mostly landed on Ron who just shook his head with a snort. “Thank you very much.”

Carwood watched him with a smirk and let the water out of the sink before he joined them on the floor and took another towel.

“He needs a name.” Carwood remarked with a smile tugging on his lips while he carefully rubbed the cloth over the wet fur. Ron didn't reply, but Carwood knew he was thinking about it. Once the puppy was mostly dry, Ron took it in his arm and caressed its back in a slow, soothing motion. The little one obviously liked it, because after a moment his eyes began to fall shut. Maybe he was just really exhausted, Carwood thought and caressed him behind the ears.

“What do you think of 'Luz'?” Ron asked and looked up at Carwood with a barely hidden grin.

Carwood was quiet for a moment, then he smirked. “I think it's perfect.”

***

When Carwood returned from university late one Saturday afternoon, the house was quiet. It didn't surprise him, though, because the chances of Ron staying inside on a sunny Saturday were close to zero.

Carwood hung his jacket on the coat rack and made his way over to the living room, just to freeze in the doorway. For a moment, he didn't dare to believe his eyes. Ron was slouched on the couch, one leg on the ground and his head on the armrest. He was obviously asleep. On top of him, on his stomach to be exact, curled into a ball, lay Luzzie, as fast asleep as Ron who had one arm wrapped around the him.

It was a sight Carwood had never in his life expected to see. It made him feel warm all over.

He had to admit that he'd noticed changes in Ron in the months since they'd taken in Little Luz. Ron had from the very first moment shown great concern for the little one, had taken care of him with a devotion that Carwood had rarely seen him display. They'd defined a set of rules the day after Luz' arrival, already knowing they would keep him. Ron was actually stricter than Carwood managed to be in the face of those brown eyes, but he nevertheless cared for Luzzie beyond anything Carwood had expected.

Ron had changed the bandage on the injured paw twice a day, once before he left for the Fire Department and once in the evening when he came back. Although Luz' paw had healed entirely, he never lost his limp. Ron had once said that he guessed it was due to the young age when Little Luz had had the injury and that he'd just learned to walk with a limp. Carwood agreed, because once you saw Luzzie run, it was obvious that he didn't really have problems walking. He was remarkably quick and zig-zagged like a rabbit, obviously enjoying it.

He and Ron were made for each other, because Ron still preferred the outdoors to a house, and he loved to range the woods just as much as Little Luz. Carwood could never hold back his smile when he watched them run between the trees, either playing or Ron throwing sticks that Luzzie was eager to run after, but which he never actually brought back.

In those moments, Ron seemed to lose a decade of his years, was carefree and happy in a way Carwood had never seen before. It was one of Carwood's favourite sights. He could never get enough of it which was why he rarely missed out on their trips. Luzzie did Ron good, Carwood thought and smiled at the pair on the couch. He decided to let his boys sleep and sat down on the armchair opposite of the couch with a book. He couldn't exactly say if it was a sign of exhaustion or trust that neither woke.

It was about an hour later that Ron made a sound and began to move. Carwood rested his book in his lap and looked at him, watched how Ron's hand unconsciously caressed Luzzie's fur. The dog just huffed out a content breath but didn't move. A lot like Ron on Sunday mornings, Carwood thought and smirked.

“Car.” Ron said when he spotted him, his voice rough with sleep. He gave one of his rare spontaneous smiles that Carwood loved so much, one that was open and honest and heartfelt. “How long have you been back?”

Carwood returned the smile. “A while.”

Ron suppressed a yawn and stretched his limbs. “You should have woken me.”

Carwood got up, lifted Little Luz off Ron's stomach before he fell off and set him on the floor. “You two were so peaceful, and there was no need to wake you.”

Ron sat up on the couch and patted the seat next to him in invitation. Carwood sat down and leaned against Ron's side. He felt Ron's arm settle around him, pulling him in until his head rested on Ron's shoulder. Little Luz cuddled up in front of the couch, lying down on top of their feet.

Carwood closed his eyes and smiled, enjoying Ron's fingers carding through his hair at the nape of his neck and the warmth of Luzzie's body on his feet. He was comfortable. He was happy. This was everything he could wish for. A family.

His family.

**Author's Note:**

> Banner made by Megan_Moonlight


End file.
